This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
Addiction to substances, such as alcohol and drugs, and activities, such as gambling, are a major scourge of society. Addictions can come in many forms, but generally can be put into two categories: 1) addiction to a substance, such as drugs, alcohol, or food, or 2) addiction to an activity, such as gambling, sex, or shopping. The human impact of an addiction can vary greatly in terms of physical toll on the mind and body as well as everyday life-damage such as destruction of families and job loss. Common life-ruining addictions include those involving alcohol, prescription and non-prescription drugs, cigarettes/nicotine, and gambling. Less common but very serious addictions involve overindulging in sex, eating, and avoidance/lack of food (e.g., anorexia or bulimia). Other addictions typically (but not always) can be considered relatively minor or annoying such as shopping, exercise, work, sports viewing, beauty enhancement/plastic surgery, videogames, or even surfing the Internet or constant use of smartphones, to name a partial list.
The term addiction has many definitions, but in general it refers to a person or persons who cannot, or will not, stop using or doing something that is potentially harmful to them and/or others around them. While addiction often conjures images of drunks or drug addicts roaming the streets, in reality addiction impacts all walks of life, from professionals to blue-collar workers to athletes to celebrities to stay-at-home parents, even to children. Many addicts live otherwise useful, functional lives, that can be greatly improved if their addiction is effectively treated.
Various types of addiction treatments, programs, and other methods for addressing addiction have been around for many decades. Examples include: 12-Step Programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), Acupuncture, Aversion Therapy (multiple forms), Behavioral Self-Control Training, Cognitive Therapy, Going Cold Turkey, Community Reinforcement, Diet-based Programs, Drug-based Treatments (multiple forms), Exercise-based programs, Hypnosis, Interventions, Meditation, Motivational programs, Nutrition-based programs, Rehabilitation (Inpatient and Outpatient)/Hospitalization stays, Religious-based programs, Self-Change Manuals/Guides, (Traditional) Psychotherapy (multiple forms), Spiritual Immersion, and Work/Treatment programs to name some of the more commonly-known approaches.